State-owned university faculty members one step closer to striking

The announcement comes days before the start of the 2016-17 academic year for many schools

Fourteen state-owned universities will vote next month whether to authorize a strike.

The announcement from the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties came Thursday and just days from the start of the 2016-17 academic year for many universities. The vote for faculty is scheduled for Sept. 7-9 while a vote to coaches is scheduled for the following week.

The potential strike comes in the midst of the university faculties pushing for fairer contract negotiations with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

“Our faculty and coaches clearly feel that the State System has not negotiated fairly; they are more interested in playing games than negotiating seriously,” APSCUF President Dr. Kenneth M. Mash said in a statement. “It is completely unfair to our students for the State System to continue to drag this process out. Eventually, there will be a contract. We don’t know what the State System gains by continually creating distractions.”